ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · coach · bound · swing · stand · board · pitch · bass

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. land — a country
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com